The Alternity Paradigm
by KronosFireZeroOne
Summary: Yu Narukami has suffered through much, to say the least of things. His closest friend is gone, and his other friends have ended up doing nothing with their lives except dwindle down in shambles and ruin. Now, he just wants peace, quiet, and tranquility. However, in the quaint little village of Inaba, he'll get everything but peace.
1. Simplicity

**CHAPTER ONE: SIMPLICITY**

My name is Yu Narukami.

Some of you may know me, others…probably not. That, however, is completely fine. I'd actually prefer it that way, because…if you did end up knowing what I really am, and what I've done…you'd probably never believe it.

Anyway, I was…in a word, special. _No_, not _that_ kind of special. I could do things that no one else could. I had a power almost no one else had. With the exception of, well, my friends, who were simultaneously my senpai. One of them, though, stood out. He was like me, except even more stoic. And better. Far better. I'd dare say, he was the best out of all of us.

But, well…circumstances occurred. Circumstances which I'm sure you wouldn't want to know. Believe me on this one, you don't want to know what I've been through, or, pretty much, what _every one of my friends_ had been through.

What had happened was so…painful…that none of us had really recovered from it. I know I never did; even after all that time had passed. But what's done is done, and there's no way I can change that…no matter how many times I wish I could. We all broke apart as a result. We meet each other, from time to time, but...it's clear the bonds we'd shared before could ever be restored to its former glory.

I finished my days as a ninth and tenth grader in an, in the words of my senpai, illustrious city called Iwatodai. My time back in that city was undoubtedly the best time of my life, yet, by the eve of my ninth grade life, it had managed to become some of my darkest days. It was bittersweet at best, agonizing at worst. So, now, starting the eleventh grade, I'm heading out for somewhere new.

I'm leaving for a place I could start all over again, where my past would never come back to haunt me. A quiet, rural village called Yasoinaba was the perfect choice.

Apparently, that's where my uncle and niece live. I didn't even know I had an uncle or a niece.

But I don't even care anymore.

As long as it gets me what I need, I'll take it.

I need to get away from it all...from my past life, from my "friends," from Iwatodai.

I just want something simple.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

* * *

So. What do you think so far?

Honestly, I'm still wracking my brain over whether I should really do this...

For one thing, I've, embarrassingly enough, never played _Persona 4_, although I did see _The Animation_, which kicked ass, by the way, and I've been inspired to write an Alternity version of P4 for weeks now, and it's like my body and my brain is commanding me to do it.

However, if I do end up writing for this, just know that updating schedules for this fic will be _slow_. And I mean, _damn slow_. Like, monthly, maybe.

Tell me, what do you think I should do?

Continue? Or dismiss?


	2. The Cards of Imminence

**CHAPTER TWO: THE CARDS OF IMMINENCE  
**

"My, it seems as though you have a rather unusual destiny lying before you..." I heard a wormy, wistful voice say.

I awoke in a strange limousine, on a soft, navy blue couch. To my left were a bunch of glasses and drinks fit for someone _not_ of my age, and to my right was another blue couch. The roof of the limo had some exotic blue lighting fixtures which looked...rather expensive. Across from me was a hunchbacked old man, with white hair flowing from the sides of his head and arms are _way_ too thin for their own good, sitting on another blue couch. He wore a black butler's outfit.

He had his elbows rest on a sheeted table, and his hands were clasped together. He kept his head facing downward, so I couldn't get a good look at his face, appears to have some flesh-colored thing protruding from his-

"It appears some introductions are in order," he said as he interrupted my thoughts, tilting his head upward to face me. "My name is Igor, and I am quite pleased to make your acquaintance."

I was surprised at the fact that his eyes turned out to be redder than blood, and...that thing protruding from his face is his _nose_?

"Yes, welcome," said the woman sitting to Igor's left, on, what else, _another_ blue couch, "and I will be here to accompany you on your travels. I am Margaret."

She was wearing a blue dress with lots of intricate golden designs all over it, complimenting the velvety blue. She wore dark grey stockings and had blue shoes to match with her dress. On her lap was a petit blue book with its title written as "Le Grimoire." Beautiful platinum blonde hair flowed down from her head, leading me to her yellow eyes.

...Did I mention how much I hate yellow eyes?

"Um, where am I?" I asked, confused beyond belief.

"This is the Velvet Room. This realm exists between mind and matter," the hunchback said, his wistful voice irritating me with how pretentious it sounded, "it is the separation between dreams and reality. Generally, those who have forged a contract are allowed to enter this room. And, perhaps, in the future, such a fate will be awaiting you as well..."

"...Okay?"

Still don't know what's going on.

"My name is Yu-"

"Please, there are no need for introductions here," Igor stated, raising his hand to shut me up. "You've been recommended to us from a...prior guest."

Prior guest?

"Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" Igor stated, merrily. "Do you believe in fortune telling?"

"Well, after everything I've been through, it's been hard for me to not believe in anything..." I trailed off.

"Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" Igor chuckled. "Hm…" Generating a blue card from out of nowhere, I eyed him cautiously as the image on the card transformed from a blank, white slate into what looked like a tower struck by lightning.

"The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future," Igor said, forebodingly. "It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent."

_That's_ reassuring.

"However, this card..." Igor began, generating another card from out of nowhere in his other hand. The image on it appeared to be a crescent moon. "The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery.' Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

"Let us hope that your journey will be quite interesting, at the very least," Margaret said. "Until we meet again," she continued, silencing herself soon afterwards.

"..."

I was still at a loss for words.

I was surprised. You'd think, after all I've been through, I would at least be able to form coherent sentences at _this_.

"We shall explain the details another time. Until then, farewell..." Igor wistfully uttered.

Turning my head, I spotted a blue door rushing towards me at what seemed like mach speed.

...I think this going to hur-

_*CRASH!*_

It did.

_"GAAH-!"_

I found myself out of that blue limo and back into reality, thank goodness.

I was on a train, heading for Yasoinaba. Looking out the window, I realized I was closer to it than I thought. No, it was _right there_. I was practically a few minutes to the station, and I could already see the life awaiting me for this year.

I spotted grassy plains, quaint little houses very much unlike those back in the city, nostalgic wooden telephone poles unobstructed by the buildings, and not a cloud of exhaust smoke in sight.

This place...I might actually like it here.

...Then again, I said the same thing about Iwatodai.

_"Thank you for riding with us," _the intercom blared, _"we are about to reach our final destination, Yasoinaba station. Please prepare to exit."_

Well, I must be off.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

* * *

EXAMS ARE DONE AT LAST!

And, yes, I shall continue this story.


End file.
